Show Your Liver Some Love

By Editorial Staff

Liver cancer is barely in the top 10 in terms of frequency in the United States; it's the 10th most common cancer among men and the 8th most common among women. But don't let your guard down– since 1980, cases of liver cancer have tripled, and in 2018, more than 42,000 American adults were diagnosed with the disease and over 30,000 died from it.

There's an easy way to show your liver some love when it comes to reducing the risk of liver cancer: eat plenty of whole grains. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open underscores this potential, finding that among 125,000-plus men and women without liver cancer at the start of the study, those who consumed the most whole grains had a 37 percent lower risk of developing liver cancer compared to those who ate the least. Researchers tracked study participants for an average of 24 years, which suggests whole grain consumption may exert a long-term protective effect against liver cancer.

Keep in mind that whole grains have previously been shown to reduce the risk of a number of health conditions, cancer and otherwise: obesity, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer, among others. Talk to your doctor for additional information.